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Hungry #1
Not Hungry
The sequel ALWAYS JUNE is now available!
June is fat. June also has an eating disorder, but no one sees. When she doesn't eat, her friends and family think they see a fat girl on a diet, not someone starving herself. When June's secret is found out by Toby, the new boy next door, she is panicked. Then she learns he also has a secret. Everyone has their own little lies.
June is fat. June also has an eating disorder, but no one sees. When she doesn't eat, her friends and family think they see a fat girl on a diet, not someone starving herself. When June's secret is found out by Toby, the new boy next door, she is panicked. Then she learns he also has a secret. Everyone has their own little lies.
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2019
21 people are currently reading
2080 people want to read
About the author
Kate Karyus Quinn
47 books579 followersKate Karyus Quinn is an avid reader and menthol chapstick addict. She has a BFA in theater and an MFA in film and television production. She lives in Buffalo, NY with her husband, three children, and one giant dog.
Find her online at katekaryusquinn.com
Sign up for her newsletter for exclusive content and giveaways! https://tinyurl.com/y9zz4hp6
Find her online at katekaryusquinn.com
Sign up for her newsletter for exclusive content and giveaways! https://tinyurl.com/y9zz4hp6
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 396 reviews
July 16, 2021
I didn't realize it was written in verse, until I opened it, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think it fit the scene and vibe very well.
TW: ED, fatshaming, fatphobia, abusive relationships
"I'm not hungry.
This is my lie.
A simple one.
A huge one."
I think I loved this book so much because it really focuses on two main problems:
1. people never care about the signs of ED in fat people (unless its binge eating), because they go "Good for them, taking care of themselves. Losing weight. Controlling themselves." BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT IS.
"Anyway,
what's there
to see?
Just another
fat girl
on a diet."
its brought up many times throughout the book,
skinny friends apologizing that they didn't see it earlier, people praising June, including her MOTHER; people saying how different she is from the regular fat people, better.
2. fat people should not be grateful for crappy jerks dating them, because they're fat.
because those jerks are "doing them a favor."
her sister, Mae's, boyfriend, Eric, is awful. terrible. he takes advantage of her sweetness. he touches her inappropriately in public, he belittles her, he makes fun of others, INCLUDING mae.
and a new, popular boy in school, Toby, starts hanging out with June, in private of course.
why? because he sucks.
"The boy who
breaks my heart
every day
when he goes
to school and..
Toby Number Two
reverts back to
Toby Number One.
The boy who looks the other way when we pass in the hallway."
he wants to crack jokes, shares secrets, kiss, in private. and wants nothing to do with her in public. he excuses this by saying he doesnt want his life harder.
"Do you see
why
I need things
at school
just to be
easy?
smooth.
No bumps.
No hassels.
No one
and
nobody
who will are things hard."
toby is completely unwilling to sacrifice popularity for June. to appreciate who she is. to love her. all of her.
he doesn't take her to the prom because "none of his friends have dates and it would be weird."
and then proceeds to take a skinny girl as his date.
Mae and June don't need these boys, they have each other. they are worth so much, why stoop to their level. they do not appreciate them for who they are. so they dump their asses. and put their effort into good friendships.
"Everyone has secrets.
But I don't.
Not anymore.
The whole school
saw mine.
And I survived.
I will survive.
Maybe do more
than survive.
Maybe it'll even
make me better."
TW: ED, fatshaming, fatphobia, abusive relationships
"I'm not hungry.
This is my lie.
A simple one.
A huge one."
I think I loved this book so much because it really focuses on two main problems:
1. people never care about the signs of ED in fat people (unless its binge eating), because they go "Good for them, taking care of themselves. Losing weight. Controlling themselves." BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT IS.
"Anyway,
what's there
to see?
Just another
fat girl
on a diet."
its brought up many times throughout the book,
skinny friends apologizing that they didn't see it earlier, people praising June, including her MOTHER; people saying how different she is from the regular fat people, better.
2. fat people should not be grateful for crappy jerks dating them, because they're fat.
because those jerks are "doing them a favor."
her sister, Mae's, boyfriend, Eric, is awful. terrible. he takes advantage of her sweetness. he touches her inappropriately in public, he belittles her, he makes fun of others, INCLUDING mae.
and a new, popular boy in school, Toby, starts hanging out with June, in private of course.
why? because he sucks.
"The boy who
breaks my heart
every day
when he goes
to school and..
Toby Number Two
reverts back to
Toby Number One.
The boy who looks the other way when we pass in the hallway."
he wants to crack jokes, shares secrets, kiss, in private. and wants nothing to do with her in public. he excuses this by saying he doesnt want his life harder.
"Do you see
why
I need things
at school
just to be
easy?
smooth.
No bumps.
No hassels.
No one
and
nobody
who will are things hard."
toby is completely unwilling to sacrifice popularity for June. to appreciate who she is. to love her. all of her.
he doesn't take her to the prom because "none of his friends have dates and it would be weird."
and then proceeds to take a skinny girl as his date.
Mae and June don't need these boys, they have each other. they are worth so much, why stoop to their level. they do not appreciate them for who they are. so they dump their asses. and put their effort into good friendships.
"Everyone has secrets.
But I don't.
Not anymore.
The whole school
saw mine.
And I survived.
I will survive.
Maybe do more
than survive.
Maybe it'll even
make me better."
May 24, 2021
The way I think this could’ve been an unmistakable five star read for me if only it was a full novel. I went in expecting it to be and was pleasantly surprised by it being written in verse - it’s a format I quite enjoy! - but I feel like here it didn’t do the narrative full justice. It was over so quickly I wanted more from it. Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed it for what it is.
It had so much potential to go into how eating disorders are perceived completely differently and often just blatantly ignored in fat people and just the general stigma and misconceptions of eating disorders in general. While it did touch on all of this very briefly, it was mostly just one or two sentences. It did also portray how damaging other people’s comments can be on what you are or aren’t eating and how sometimes (whether unknowingly or not) mothers can perpetuate a toxic diet culture and pass it on to their daughters.
I really liked the relationship between the two sisters in this book and the complexity of pursuing romance. Again, my complaint being that while it was touched upon it involved a lot of reading between the lines and the reader's own interpretations of these situations. If this was a fleshed out novel I think it would’ve been so great.
If you want a super quick read though, this was good!
It had so much potential to go into how eating disorders are perceived completely differently and often just blatantly ignored in fat people and just the general stigma and misconceptions of eating disorders in general. While it did touch on all of this very briefly, it was mostly just one or two sentences. It did also portray how damaging other people’s comments can be on what you are or aren’t eating and how sometimes (whether unknowingly or not) mothers can perpetuate a toxic diet culture and pass it on to their daughters.
I really liked the relationship between the two sisters in this book and the complexity of pursuing romance. Again, my complaint being that while it was touched upon it involved a lot of reading between the lines and the reader's own interpretations of these situations. If this was a fleshed out novel I think it would’ve been so great.
If you want a super quick read though, this was good!
July 3, 2019
Lie #1 - “I’m not hungry.”
June is hungry. All the time. When she’s not starving herself she’s bingeing and purging, but because she’s overweight no one realises she has an eating disorder. All they see is a fat girl on a diet.
June isn’t fine. Neither is her sister, Mae, whose boyfriend treats her like garbage. Neither is Toby, who lives next door and has secrets of his own.
The ending felt a bit rushed and too neat for me, but I still managed to get all of the answers I wanted. I didn’t become emotionally involved with any of the characters, but I thought the author did well to include all of the details they did with a limited word count. Even though I didn’t get attached to any specific character I could have quite happily strangled Mae’s boyfriend for her and I was certainly not a fan of Toby.
Content warnings include .
Thank you to NetGalley and West 44 Books, an imprint of Enslow Publishing, for the opportunity to read this book. I love hi-lo books! Hi-Lo are high-interest, low-readability books and I love that I live in a world where these books exist. On their website, West 44 Books advises their young adult books are Reading Level: 3-4, Interest Level: 9-12.
June is hungry. All the time. When she’s not starving herself she’s bingeing and purging, but because she’s overweight no one realises she has an eating disorder. All they see is a fat girl on a diet.
“The purging place,”Lie #2 - “I’m fine.”
I call it.
Where I bury my shame.
June isn’t fine. Neither is her sister, Mae, whose boyfriend treats her like garbage. Neither is Toby, who lives next door and has secrets of his own.
Everyone has secrets.Lie #3 - “It’ll be okay.”
Like mostThis is a short book written in verse that introduces a variety of issues that many teens deal with, including eating disorders and fat shaming. The story flows well and it was easy to follow along with who everyone was and their relationships to one another.
lies,
it’s the
thing
we most wish
was true.
The ending felt a bit rushed and too neat for me, but I still managed to get all of the answers I wanted. I didn’t become emotionally involved with any of the characters, but I thought the author did well to include all of the details they did with a limited word count. Even though I didn’t get attached to any specific character I could have quite happily strangled Mae’s boyfriend for her and I was certainly not a fan of Toby.
Content warnings include .
Thank you to NetGalley and West 44 Books, an imprint of Enslow Publishing, for the opportunity to read this book. I love hi-lo books! Hi-Lo are high-interest, low-readability books and I love that I live in a world where these books exist. On their website, West 44 Books advises their young adult books are Reading Level: 3-4, Interest Level: 9-12.
July 28, 2021
TW: Eating disorder, purging, abusive relationships, body image issues
⅗ stars for a mediocre book about a beautiful girl with a sad secret.
Overall: So, this book was only about 150 pages I would say and it was written in a poetry format, therefore I will just be talking about the book overall and not dividing it into character opinions since there wasn’t much from them.
Not Hungry wasn’t bad in any way! I can tell what the author was trying to do and the messages she was trying to convey, and in some way, towards the end, I think she did accomplish that. When the school stood up against Mae’s jerk boyfriend (I forgot his name….lol) and they just completely shed their skin and decided to be themselves was incredible. It was nice to read and I was proud of them for that.
But, the rest of the book was kind of written…...oddly? I was confused in the beginning, the book moved at a very fast pace granted it was a short book. Because of that, we didn’t get much from the characters. I thought that only affected one character, that one being Mae’s one “love” interest. He just confused the HECK out of me. I don’t know if it’s because of what he wrote or just the character himself. Does the entire nighttime walk scene kind of confused me? I just didn’t understand him whatsoever. I think he was important towards the end of the book when Mae had to decide which “path” to take. I think he was important then. He just kind of turned me off from the book for some reason.
So yeah, those were the main things that made the book meh for me. The writing at times and Mae’s crush. But, the ending was great and very heartwarming. I am proud of Mae!
It just was not anything memorable or impactful as I was hoping it would be. So again, not bad in any way, just nothing extraordinary. Glad I got the chance to read it in the end.
⅗ stars for a mediocre book about a beautiful girl with a sad secret.
Overall: So, this book was only about 150 pages I would say and it was written in a poetry format, therefore I will just be talking about the book overall and not dividing it into character opinions since there wasn’t much from them.
Not Hungry wasn’t bad in any way! I can tell what the author was trying to do and the messages she was trying to convey, and in some way, towards the end, I think she did accomplish that. When the school stood up against Mae’s jerk boyfriend (I forgot his name….lol) and they just completely shed their skin and decided to be themselves was incredible. It was nice to read and I was proud of them for that.
But, the rest of the book was kind of written…...oddly? I was confused in the beginning, the book moved at a very fast pace granted it was a short book. Because of that, we didn’t get much from the characters. I thought that only affected one character, that one being Mae’s one “love” interest. He just confused the HECK out of me. I don’t know if it’s because of what he wrote or just the character himself. Does the entire nighttime walk scene kind of confused me? I just didn’t understand him whatsoever. I think he was important towards the end of the book when Mae had to decide which “path” to take. I think he was important then. He just kind of turned me off from the book for some reason.
So yeah, those were the main things that made the book meh for me. The writing at times and Mae’s crush. But, the ending was great and very heartwarming. I am proud of Mae!
It just was not anything memorable or impactful as I was hoping it would be. So again, not bad in any way, just nothing extraordinary. Glad I got the chance to read it in the end.
August 26, 2019
This was an interesting read. The formatting was fun, with the words twisting and turning and less complete sentences. It made it go by quickly, which isn't a bad thing, but I wanted more story. I felt so bad for June, her mom is a terrible role model and her sister dates a guy who verbally abuses her. June is overweight and feels like she's not good enough, so she goes on a cycle of starvation, binging, and purging. Then she meets her new neighbor, who's cute and popular and likes spending time with her, but only when no one knows about them.
My favorite part of this is that it focuses on the sister relationship and shows that you don't need validation from anyone, especially a guy. I would have loved this to be longer, but I thought it was well done.
My favorite part of this is that it focuses on the sister relationship and shows that you don't need validation from anyone, especially a guy. I would have loved this to be longer, but I thought it was well done.
December 8, 2021
5/5
CW: Eating disorder, harassment, verbal abuse, low self-esteem, and a few others that I may be missing.
I think this is one of those books where you won't really connect with unless you've dealt with the struggles that June is dealing with. Since the age of twelve, I've been recovering and relapsing from an eating disorder, so this book hit me hard. In the first five minutes of reading, I was already crying because of how overwhelmed I was with emotions. I've never related to a character as much as I related to June and her struggles felt like my struggles. This book is just really important to me and I'm so glad that I pushed through and decided to read it. Would I recommend it? I'm not sure that's such a hard question to answer and I guess I would just say to use your best judgment on if you'll be able to handle the themes of this book because I really did love it but I definitely don't want to see anyone get triggered so please be careful.
CW: Eating disorder, harassment, verbal abuse, low self-esteem, and a few others that I may be missing.
I think this is one of those books where you won't really connect with unless you've dealt with the struggles that June is dealing with. Since the age of twelve, I've been recovering and relapsing from an eating disorder, so this book hit me hard. In the first five minutes of reading, I was already crying because of how overwhelmed I was with emotions. I've never related to a character as much as I related to June and her struggles felt like my struggles. This book is just really important to me and I'm so glad that I pushed through and decided to read it. Would I recommend it? I'm not sure that's such a hard question to answer and I guess I would just say to use your best judgment on if you'll be able to handle the themes of this book because I really did love it but I definitely don't want to see anyone get triggered so please be careful.
July 3, 2019
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of NOT HUNGRY by Kate Karyus Quinn in exchange for my honest review.***
1.5 STARS
Nobody realizes June has an eating disorder because she’s overweight.
Told in verse, June describes her experiences as a fat girl dieting and purging. NOT HUNGRY focused nearly entirely on the eating and body aspects of eating disorders and while some bullying and other underlying issues are shown, no connection is made to the disorder. I’m not sure if Quinn did research on eating disorders or if a complex story about mental illness doesn’t work well in verse, but either way I can’t see a reason to recommend to young readers.
I liked Quinn’s word building and would be interested in checking her out again.
1.5 STARS
Nobody realizes June has an eating disorder because she’s overweight.
Told in verse, June describes her experiences as a fat girl dieting and purging. NOT HUNGRY focused nearly entirely on the eating and body aspects of eating disorders and while some bullying and other underlying issues are shown, no connection is made to the disorder. I’m not sure if Quinn did research on eating disorders or if a complex story about mental illness doesn’t work well in verse, but either way I can’t see a reason to recommend to young readers.
I liked Quinn’s word building and would be interested in checking her out again.
July 28, 2020
| Review on Reader Fox Blog |
I love novels that are written in verse, I'll admit. In fact, it's part of what drew me into Kate Karyus Quinn's Not Hungry. With that in mind, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The fact of the matter is that Not Hungry deals with some very serious and, at times, disturbing issues that make the book an immensely difficult read. This is the kind of book that needs a lot of trigger warnings, and not just for its main theme of an eating disorder. Among the triggering content are eating disorders, body shaming, self-hate, abuse and violence (relating to romantic and non-romantic relationships), and drug abuse / addiction. The truth is, Not Hungry has a lot to unpack.
Hi-Lo
Something I've always loved are the hi-lo books, designed specifically to be easier to read but contain content that is tailored to a teenage audience. The reason for these books is to reach young adults who struggle with reading and provide them with books that afford them to feel successful within this area. As an educator, I find these books truly amazing. However, I do admittedly feel as though the content of this particular book is a bit much for that particular subsection of readers.
I think it likely depends highly on the kids who are going to be reading the book, but I can say that it is possible this novel deals with too many issues all at once instead of focusing on the most important ones. In that sense, it seems as though the book is practically filled with Murphy's law. Will the main character ever get a break?
June
The main protagonist of the verse-written story is a young girl, June, who is overweight and has an eating disorder. Of course, no one notices her eating disorder largely because she is overweight. The story follows her life as she meets the new boy next door, deals with her sister's abusive boyfriend, and her insensitive family. And honestly, this is a rough read.
The subject matter is, at times, incredibly painful to journey through. Certainly, this book can be incredibly triggering at times. I recall feeling quite uncomfortable on a number of occasions while reading it. You are thrown very deep into June's head for the entirety of the novel, experiencing her thoughts, feelings, and depression in such a visceral way that you can't help leaving the book feeling impacted by it.
Recovery
To put it bluntly, there really is none.
And that is not to say that there wouldn't be or that the book implies June doesn't experience it, but rather that we are given an open ending that resolves very little. You're left with something hopeful but no insight as to whether or not something comes of that hope. And you get absolutely no view into what June's recovery might look like. Honestly, this was a missed opportunity.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
| Instagram | Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Bloglovin’ | Facebook |
I love novels that are written in verse, I'll admit. In fact, it's part of what drew me into Kate Karyus Quinn's Not Hungry. With that in mind, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The fact of the matter is that Not Hungry deals with some very serious and, at times, disturbing issues that make the book an immensely difficult read. This is the kind of book that needs a lot of trigger warnings, and not just for its main theme of an eating disorder. Among the triggering content are eating disorders, body shaming, self-hate, abuse and violence (relating to romantic and non-romantic relationships), and drug abuse / addiction. The truth is, Not Hungry has a lot to unpack.
Hi-Lo
Something I've always loved are the hi-lo books, designed specifically to be easier to read but contain content that is tailored to a teenage audience. The reason for these books is to reach young adults who struggle with reading and provide them with books that afford them to feel successful within this area. As an educator, I find these books truly amazing. However, I do admittedly feel as though the content of this particular book is a bit much for that particular subsection of readers.
I think it likely depends highly on the kids who are going to be reading the book, but I can say that it is possible this novel deals with too many issues all at once instead of focusing on the most important ones. In that sense, it seems as though the book is practically filled with Murphy's law. Will the main character ever get a break?
June
The main protagonist of the verse-written story is a young girl, June, who is overweight and has an eating disorder. Of course, no one notices her eating disorder largely because she is overweight. The story follows her life as she meets the new boy next door, deals with her sister's abusive boyfriend, and her insensitive family. And honestly, this is a rough read.
The subject matter is, at times, incredibly painful to journey through. Certainly, this book can be incredibly triggering at times. I recall feeling quite uncomfortable on a number of occasions while reading it. You are thrown very deep into June's head for the entirety of the novel, experiencing her thoughts, feelings, and depression in such a visceral way that you can't help leaving the book feeling impacted by it.
Recovery
To put it bluntly, there really is none.
And that is not to say that there wouldn't be or that the book implies June doesn't experience it, but rather that we are given an open ending that resolves very little. You're left with something hopeful but no insight as to whether or not something comes of that hope. And you get absolutely no view into what June's recovery might look like. Honestly, this was a missed opportunity.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
| Instagram | Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Bloglovin’ | Facebook |
September 27, 2025
I really enjoyed this and definitely related to some of these things. It’s a very fast read because it’s written in verse which I didn’t know going in. I do wish it was a little more fleshed out but it was still really good.
August 12, 2019
Satisfies the craving for raw honesty and shows the reality of eating disorders and what happens to the people left in their wake. Never again will people see each other the same way. 5/5 stars
November 25, 2022
Oh I absolutely loved this.
Not Hungry is a poetry book dealing with eating disorder and mental health. June is a teenage girl who is struggling with anorexia and the book takes us through her journey of this struggle, being outed in front of the entire school and how she agrees to ask for help.
Erick was such a douchebag character but a honest depiction of mean people in real life could really be. I absolutely loved every word of this book and it made me quite emotional as well. What surprised me the most was how Mae's toxic relationship was explained in the book and it ended up dealing with so many more issues apart from ED.
Toby was an utter disappointment and I liked how Lacey came through towards the end (which btw doesn't excuse her previous behavior towards June and her "dieting") but atleast she realised where she went wrong. Toby deserves so much worse than being left waiting on a dark road.
I am going to read more books dealing with MH because I feel these are generally written very beautifully.
Not Hungry is a poetry book dealing with eating disorder and mental health. June is a teenage girl who is struggling with anorexia and the book takes us through her journey of this struggle, being outed in front of the entire school and how she agrees to ask for help.
Erick was such a douchebag character but a honest depiction of mean people in real life could really be. I absolutely loved every word of this book and it made me quite emotional as well. What surprised me the most was how Mae's toxic relationship was explained in the book and it ended up dealing with so many more issues apart from ED.
Toby was an utter disappointment and I liked how Lacey came through towards the end (which btw doesn't excuse her previous behavior towards June and her "dieting") but atleast she realised where she went wrong. Toby deserves so much worse than being left waiting on a dark road.
I am going to read more books dealing with MH because I feel these are generally written very beautifully.
November 23, 2022
An okay read that could be much better and left me wanting more. The book mentions lots of important issues such as bullying, body image and fatphobia on top of eating disorders, but fails to go sufficiently in-depth about all of them. I was rather disappointed and unsatisfied by the lack of nuance towards such complex topics and the one-dimensional characters.
I love hi-lo books and novels in verse, though this one was just fine... A generous 3 stars since I think it's nevertheless important to have such books out there.
I love hi-lo books and novels in verse, though this one was just fine... A generous 3 stars since I think it's nevertheless important to have such books out there.
August 27, 2019
** I received a Copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
3 stars
Summary from Goodreads
June is fat. June also has an eating disorder, but no one sees. When she doesn't eat, her friends and family think they see a fat girl on a diet, not someone starving herself. When June's secret is found out by Toby, the new boy next door, she is panicked. Then she learns he also has a secret. Everyone has their own little lies.
"My dream isn't to be
a n o r e x i c
But for people
Like Lacey think
to think I could be."
My thoughts
This was a short little book. I did expect it to be so short. I would have like it to be a little longer. This book is told in verse. I personally feel that I was missing a lot from the story since it is told in verse. It made the book feel light and simple which eating disorders are not. This would be a great book for teens who are getting introduced to eating disorders but not the best if you are looking for some information on this topic.
The writing flowed nicely and the story was very well paced. I would have liked to see how June gets healthy again and overcomes her eating disorder.
"A song comes in
about powerful women
loving themselves.
We sing along.
As loud as we can "
I love this line!
Overall
This book is short and sweet. There were a few things that I wasn't a huge fan of but Not Hungry was a nice quick read and I enjoyed reading it.
3 stars
This review will be on my blog on September 9
https://kierasbookishthoughts.wordpre...
3 stars
Summary from Goodreads
June is fat. June also has an eating disorder, but no one sees. When she doesn't eat, her friends and family think they see a fat girl on a diet, not someone starving herself. When June's secret is found out by Toby, the new boy next door, she is panicked. Then she learns he also has a secret. Everyone has their own little lies.
"My dream isn't to be
a n o r e x i c
But for people
Like Lacey think
to think I could be."
My thoughts
This was a short little book. I did expect it to be so short. I would have like it to be a little longer. This book is told in verse. I personally feel that I was missing a lot from the story since it is told in verse. It made the book feel light and simple which eating disorders are not. This would be a great book for teens who are getting introduced to eating disorders but not the best if you are looking for some information on this topic.
The writing flowed nicely and the story was very well paced. I would have liked to see how June gets healthy again and overcomes her eating disorder.
"A song comes in
about powerful women
loving themselves.
We sing along.
As loud as we can "
I love this line!
Overall
This book is short and sweet. There were a few things that I wasn't a huge fan of but Not Hungry was a nice quick read and I enjoyed reading it.
3 stars
This review will be on my blog on September 9
https://kierasbookishthoughts.wordpre...
July 11, 2019
2.5 stars - As someone who has been ridiculed for their weight and suffered from a binge-eating disorder, I can attest to how real this story feels. It can be especially difficult to work through these disorders when the adults in your life are celebrating your unhealthy habits while telling you that your accomplishments aren't good enough. With that being said, I think that having this story written in verse really helps to showcase the uncontrollable and sporadic thoughts that come along with any mental illness.
Its always nice to see a part of yourself represented within a story. However the bullying that took place towards the end seemed a bit unrealistic and the same conclusion could've been achieved through confrontations with other prominent characters.
What really brought down my rating though was the lack of any resolution. If you're going to offer a story to young adults about eating disorders, you also need to include how to get help and demonstrate the recovery process. Sorry but dancing and saying you'll get help just doesn't cut it.
Thank you to the publishers who provided me with an ARC of this book through NetGalley!
Its always nice to see a part of yourself represented within a story. However the bullying that took place towards the end seemed a bit unrealistic and the same conclusion could've been achieved through confrontations with other prominent characters.
What really brought down my rating though was the lack of any resolution. If you're going to offer a story to young adults about eating disorders, you also need to include how to get help and demonstrate the recovery process. Sorry but dancing and saying you'll get help just doesn't cut it.
Thank you to the publishers who provided me with an ARC of this book through NetGalley!
October 11, 2019
I am a fat girl with an eating disorder as well. This book was literally my whole highschool career. Still to this day I have these feelings. I didn't finish this because while it was a different kind of ED book (one about a fat girl that no one notices is starving) it all was the same.
I want a book about EDs that gets R A W all the way down deep into the hatred and self loathing. This just seemed to kind of skip over the surface. no real depth other than her anger at not being noticed (at which i understand)
either way, it was okay. I thought i was going to love it and I didn't so :-)
I want a book about EDs that gets R A W all the way down deep into the hatred and self loathing. This just seemed to kind of skip over the surface. no real depth other than her anger at not being noticed (at which i understand)
either way, it was okay. I thought i was going to love it and I didn't so :-)
August 8, 2019
i received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. all opinions below are my own.
3.5 stars ; review to come.
3.5 stars ; review to come.
June 14, 2023
this was so beautifully written <3
July 13, 2019
The first thing I noticed about this book was the bright pink, rather girly looking cover, with a plate at it’s centre, with a rather generous size piece of cake/cookie/bun. I also discovered it was categorised as a HiLo book, and I wanted to publicise some of these books on my blog. If you are not familiar with the term “Hi Lo Book” it is a book that offer highly interesting subject matter at a low reading level, therefore it encourages older children/adults into reading about a subject they may be interested in but perhaps they aren’t so good at reading. I say anything that encourages more people into reading is great. Usually the fact that the book has the “poetry” genre label would usually put me off, but, this year I decided to read more books that weren’t necessarily in my normal comfort zone of reading.
The main characters in this book are June, Toby and June’s sister Mae. June considers herself to be overweight, everyone thinks June is on some fad style diet, only she isn’t. June has an eating disorder where she will eat nothing at all, then perhaps see a tray of buns her older sister Mae has baked and she will sneak around and when no one is watching June will eat them all. After eating so much in such a short time June will then run to the bathroom or outside behind a certain hedge to be sick, therefore ridding herself of what she has just binged on. There is no in between with June, she is either eating nothing at all, or really bingeing until the point at which she is sick and ridding herself of what she has just eaten. It is during one of her trips down the garden to her favourite bush to be sick behind that she meets Toby. June is mortified this boy she doesn’t recognise has seen her being sick, he knows her secret. June settles her worrying by thinking she hasn’t seen this boy before so maybe he was just a visitor, what is the likelihood of her seeing hm again. Unfortunately for June, this boy, Toby has just moved in with his grandmother, Junes next door neighbour and will be attending the same school. June is really scared she’s convinced that Toby will say something so when he doesn’t, she is shocked.
I loved the characters of June and Mae, that they have each other’s back no matter what, even though they may not put it into words every day. The book unfolds a little bit like a diary or as if June is actually talking to the reader. June describes herself as a liar, but she only ever tells one lie and that’s when she says “I’m not hungry”. It’s sad that June feels like she has no one to confide in, or rather she feels like she hasn’t got anyone. When all the time her sister Mae is insecure about her weight and curves too. Though as the older sister has a tad more confidence and dresses very well for her individual body shape. When the two girls finally trust each other to open up to one another , they discover they are a formidable team.
I aren’t totally sure what I think of the character called Toby. Sure, he hasn’t had the easiest childhood but now he is living with his grandmother things are better. Though he knows about June’s issue with food and doesn’t call her out on it or ridicule her at school, I feel, in my opinion that he plays with her emotions and the fact she isn’t very confident.
Toby has two separate identities, the one he is when he is at home with his grandmother and wants to go on walks and hold June’s hand. Then there’s the Toby at school who is part of the popular gang, that girls crush over and he doesn’t even acknowledge June’s existence.
I was really annoyed with June & Mae’s mother when June admits to not eating her mother’s reaction is not to encourage her to eat but to almost pat her on the back and say she wished she had June’s will power to not eat anything!
The character I loved to hate was Erick. By the way, I seriously laughed out loud at the parts where he is referred to as Er..”ick” it really suited him! I despised the way he treats both his girlfriend Mae and her younger sister June. The cheek of him getting angry when Mae makes different cookies to the usual chocolate ones that he has been selling to his friends!! I found the homecoming dance scene amusing when for a change he is on the receiving end of the sarcasm rather than being the one dishing it out.
I won’t go into detail but there is a scene where June has to make a choice and I have to say I am so happy with the choice she made. A few days or weeks earlier she wouldn’t have been confident enough in herself to make the choice she did.
So, to sum up I found the way June’s eating disorder was described and talked about to be in a simple, realistic but very honest way. I think this book would make a great conversation starter within the right setting, giving a safe environment for females or males to start a discussion on their own eating habits.
The main characters in this book are June, Toby and June’s sister Mae. June considers herself to be overweight, everyone thinks June is on some fad style diet, only she isn’t. June has an eating disorder where she will eat nothing at all, then perhaps see a tray of buns her older sister Mae has baked and she will sneak around and when no one is watching June will eat them all. After eating so much in such a short time June will then run to the bathroom or outside behind a certain hedge to be sick, therefore ridding herself of what she has just binged on. There is no in between with June, she is either eating nothing at all, or really bingeing until the point at which she is sick and ridding herself of what she has just eaten. It is during one of her trips down the garden to her favourite bush to be sick behind that she meets Toby. June is mortified this boy she doesn’t recognise has seen her being sick, he knows her secret. June settles her worrying by thinking she hasn’t seen this boy before so maybe he was just a visitor, what is the likelihood of her seeing hm again. Unfortunately for June, this boy, Toby has just moved in with his grandmother, Junes next door neighbour and will be attending the same school. June is really scared she’s convinced that Toby will say something so when he doesn’t, she is shocked.
I loved the characters of June and Mae, that they have each other’s back no matter what, even though they may not put it into words every day. The book unfolds a little bit like a diary or as if June is actually talking to the reader. June describes herself as a liar, but she only ever tells one lie and that’s when she says “I’m not hungry”. It’s sad that June feels like she has no one to confide in, or rather she feels like she hasn’t got anyone. When all the time her sister Mae is insecure about her weight and curves too. Though as the older sister has a tad more confidence and dresses very well for her individual body shape. When the two girls finally trust each other to open up to one another , they discover they are a formidable team.
I aren’t totally sure what I think of the character called Toby. Sure, he hasn’t had the easiest childhood but now he is living with his grandmother things are better. Though he knows about June’s issue with food and doesn’t call her out on it or ridicule her at school, I feel, in my opinion that he plays with her emotions and the fact she isn’t very confident.
Toby has two separate identities, the one he is when he is at home with his grandmother and wants to go on walks and hold June’s hand. Then there’s the Toby at school who is part of the popular gang, that girls crush over and he doesn’t even acknowledge June’s existence.
I was really annoyed with June & Mae’s mother when June admits to not eating her mother’s reaction is not to encourage her to eat but to almost pat her on the back and say she wished she had June’s will power to not eat anything!
The character I loved to hate was Erick. By the way, I seriously laughed out loud at the parts where he is referred to as Er..”ick” it really suited him! I despised the way he treats both his girlfriend Mae and her younger sister June. The cheek of him getting angry when Mae makes different cookies to the usual chocolate ones that he has been selling to his friends!! I found the homecoming dance scene amusing when for a change he is on the receiving end of the sarcasm rather than being the one dishing it out.
I won’t go into detail but there is a scene where June has to make a choice and I have to say I am so happy with the choice she made. A few days or weeks earlier she wouldn’t have been confident enough in herself to make the choice she did.
So, to sum up I found the way June’s eating disorder was described and talked about to be in a simple, realistic but very honest way. I think this book would make a great conversation starter within the right setting, giving a safe environment for females or males to start a discussion on their own eating habits.
October 21, 2019
*Thanks to a Netgalley and West 44 books for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review*
Often we read books about eating disorders where the main character is underweight. This book was different, as it featured a character who was classed as overweight. This is important - to show people that eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes, and that you can have an one at any weight.
I loved the format and I read the book in one sitting. It was easy to follow and we moved fast through the storyline.
I found it difficult to connect with the characters, but I’m not sure if that was to do with the fast pace or the format. I loved how it shared the more raw and often embarrassing side of eating disorders - the lengths someone will go to to contain their secret and further their goal of not eating. I would have loved more story. Although I enjoyed the format, I also found myself wanting more development and details.
Overall, a great story but it had more potential and I would have loved to have seen more plot development. However, it wouldn’t put me off from checking out more of this authors work as I loved the writing and I think they have so much potential.
Often we read books about eating disorders where the main character is underweight. This book was different, as it featured a character who was classed as overweight. This is important - to show people that eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes, and that you can have an one at any weight.
I loved the format and I read the book in one sitting. It was easy to follow and we moved fast through the storyline.
I found it difficult to connect with the characters, but I’m not sure if that was to do with the fast pace or the format. I loved how it shared the more raw and often embarrassing side of eating disorders - the lengths someone will go to to contain their secret and further their goal of not eating. I would have loved more story. Although I enjoyed the format, I also found myself wanting more development and details.
Overall, a great story but it had more potential and I would have loved to have seen more plot development. However, it wouldn’t put me off from checking out more of this authors work as I loved the writing and I think they have so much potential.
June 26, 2025
"My dream isn't to be
a n o r e x i c.
But for people
like Lacey
to think I could be."
If I had a nickel for every time a YA book about mental illness is written in free verse... I'd have quite a few nickels. Not sure why that style is so common for this subject matter.
This book was super quick, I probably finished it in 30 minutes. So it kind of left me wanting a bit more. I'll rarely say this about a book, but it could have been longer. Maybe if it had been longer though I would have said it could have been shorter 😂 But no, there's definitely some stuff that could have been developed more. None of the characters have much depth. I also feel like everything wrapped up too neatly in the end I look forward to seeing how things are handled in the sequel. Overall though I quite liked the book, particularly the poems with Toby, though I didn't actually like Toby.
My favorite "poem" (chapter?) was My Sister, Mae,. I really want to try one of those brownies 😋
a n o r e x i c.
But for people
like Lacey
to think I could be."
If I had a nickel for every time a YA book about mental illness is written in free verse... I'd have quite a few nickels. Not sure why that style is so common for this subject matter.
This book was super quick, I probably finished it in 30 minutes. So it kind of left me wanting a bit more. I'll rarely say this about a book, but it could have been longer. Maybe if it had been longer though I would have said it could have been shorter 😂 But no, there's definitely some stuff that could have been developed more. None of the characters have much depth. I also feel like everything wrapped up too neatly in the end I look forward to seeing how things are handled in the sequel. Overall though I quite liked the book, particularly the poems with Toby, though I didn't actually like Toby.
My favorite "poem" (chapter?) was My Sister, Mae,. I really want to try one of those brownies 😋
August 26, 2021
I just sat through 100+ pages wondering what the actual plot of this book was. I can’t really tell you that since all I got was our main girl, June, has an ED and everyone around her has secrets. The characters were pretty flat because, as mentioned, all they really had going for them were their secrets. Even all June had going for her was her ED. That’s it. I don’t think I liked anything much about THE except the verse format and the play on words and how they’re spelled/typed onto the page. I also liked the cover. But this book could’ve been longer and allowed for more development and resolution.
October 25, 2022
this was good! it was written in verse and so incredibly short though. it deals with a heavy topic, eating disorders, along with other things. it addresses the topics but since it was so short, the book couldn’t go in depth about anything. however, it really focused on the mc’s feelings and thoughts, which i really liked bc it aided in making the book feel more personable to anyone reading it who feels the same, or is/was going through the same.
it was good but wish it was longer!
it was good but wish it was longer!
January 25, 2023
Not Hungry is a book written in verses dealing with eating disorder and mental health.
June is a teenager who is struggling with anorexia and the book takes us through her journey of this struggle, being outed in front of the entire school and how she agrees to ask for help.
I loved June and Mae, they have each other’s back no matter what, even though they may not put it into words every day.
The book unfolds a little bit like a diary or as if June is actually talking to the reader. June describes herself as a liar, but she only ever tells one lie and that’s when she says “I’m not hungry”.
June is a teenager who is struggling with anorexia and the book takes us through her journey of this struggle, being outed in front of the entire school and how she agrees to ask for help.
I loved June and Mae, they have each other’s back no matter what, even though they may not put it into words every day.
The book unfolds a little bit like a diary or as if June is actually talking to the reader. June describes herself as a liar, but she only ever tells one lie and that’s when she says “I’m not hungry”.
October 17, 2022
Average, nothing special. Type of book I would forget I read. Really easy to read and felt like a movie I've watched. Kinda like the Duff meets My Mad Fat Diary. This book just feels like your reading a movie idk. Toby annoyed the hell out of me.
July 26, 2022
I loved the characters
And the ending
Very short story though
And the ending
Very short story though
November 3, 2022
half way through i was like “oh wait this was def written by a thin person” and low and behold
October 9, 2021
This juvenile fiction makes my heart break. It's a different perspective, and I'm thankful that I experienced that. Like other reviews say, it is short. And of course I'd love it to be a longer, more in-depth novel. But I think it's perfect too. This is important for me, as a teacher who interacts with middle and high school girls. This is important for the girls, so they can remember what's important.
November 11, 2021
This book is awful. The story is bad, the word structure of the book itself is bad, just reading this put me in a bad mood. It's a headache to read this terrible book, the story progression is so fast, and doesn't make any sense. The characters are flat, have no 3D-ness to them, and are boring. The author had and idea, but failed to deliver. She could have made an interesting and invigorating with the subject of anorexia/bulimia, but she absolutely failed to deliver. I don't even remember the characters' names! I would rate this book 0.5/5, but that isn't an option, so I have to gracefully and unwillingly give it a 1/5.
July 5, 2025
TW: ED; fat-shaming, abusive relationships
this was such a good story written in verses that fit the story perfectly. i know a few reviewers have not enjoyed this but i feel like the writing style captured how there doesn't have to be much more to be said about the story and the characters - what we understand and have to know can be read between the lines.
my favorite part was the relationship between the two sisters.
obviously, if the story was fleshed out like a novel instead of poetry it would have done more justice to the complexity that is eating disorders. but in my opinion, it didn't do it un-justice either.
this was such a good story written in verses that fit the story perfectly. i know a few reviewers have not enjoyed this but i feel like the writing style captured how there doesn't have to be much more to be said about the story and the characters - what we understand and have to know can be read between the lines.
my favorite part was the relationship between the two sisters.
obviously, if the story was fleshed out like a novel instead of poetry it would have done more justice to the complexity that is eating disorders. but in my opinion, it didn't do it un-justice either.
July 6, 2019
Thanks to Net Galley for providing me a copy in exchange of an honest review.
Not Hungry isn’t a pretty book. It isn’t a happy book. It’s a book filled with pain and struggles, about eating disorders and judgy people.
This novel is entirely written in verse, something I enjoyed a lot. It was very easy to read and I liked the authors choice of wording.
Trigger warning for eating disorders,as it gets pretty graphic.
Not Hungry isn’t a pretty book. It isn’t a happy book. It’s a book filled with pain and struggles, about eating disorders and judgy people.
This novel is entirely written in verse, something I enjoyed a lot. It was very easy to read and I liked the authors choice of wording.
Trigger warning for eating disorders,as it gets pretty graphic.
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